Aerial Non-Stop Trajectories Preserving the Equilibrium of Loads Suspended by Variable-Length Cables

Abstract

This work studies equilibrium-preserving non-stop trajectories of aerial carriers connected to rigid loads by variable-length cables. Internal-force motions vary the cable directions without changing the load wrench, while cable-length actuation shapes the radial realization of the carrier trajectories. We derive an explicit cable-length law for realizing prescribed carrier-position profiles along a fixed direction, with constant altitude as a relevant specialization. Under this constraint, a carrier stops exactly when its cable direction stops changing. This characterization reveals a distinction between unrestricted and level motion: variable cable lengths enable bounded non-stop motion with two carriers, whereas periodic level non-stop motion is obstructed for two carriers and constructively achieved for three or more under explicit geometric and feasibility conditions. Numerical simulations illustrate the constant-altitude construction.